Earth Day has arrived and is being celebrated all week long at different places all over Long Island, and the world! The annual event is held in order to demonstrate support for environmental protection and is a time where we can teach children and even ourselves, ways to keep our environment clean. If each and every one of us makes small steps to helping out, it can help our Earth’s future in an enormous way.

Many think “going green” is hard to do, but making small strides to help out is actually quite simple. If you work things into your routine, just as you do now, you will be helping our environment each day without even realizing it! Take a look at these simple ways to help our planet stay as clean as possible:

• Walk or ride a bike to work
• Carpool to work if your job is too far to walk
• Plant a tree
• Plant a garden
• Collect rain water and use it to water your garden
• Pick up litter when you see it
• Recycle bottles, cans, glass, etc.
• Reuse items when you can (plastic bags while shopping, cardboard from cereal boxes for projects, etc.)
• Unplug your appliances
• Turn off your lights to help save energy
• Turn your computer off at night
• Volunteer for a local clean up
• Print less or double sided if possible
• Dispose of your electronics properly
• Shop organic
• Take shorter showers
• Eat vegan once a week
• Use reusable water bottles
• Make your own cleaning supplies
• Put a stop to junk mail
• Use cloth napkins instead of paper
• When weather allows, hang dry instead of using your dryer
• Pay your bills online

These great ideas will not only help the Earth, but they can help you and your electric bill, too! It doesn’t hurt to save some energy here and there and at the end of the year, you will be surprised at how much money and energy you have saved!

Have an idea on preserving our Earth? Share with us by commenting below!